Broken
by xo. Beautiful Insanity .ox
Summary: Warm and comforting, it fell onto them, washing them both of the pain held in so deep. Ichigo reached forward to her mask, slowly lifting it over her head. IchigoxocOne shot


**Hey, just wanting to say that this is set in the Arrancar arc. Also, for those who have read my story "Complications of Love And School" (NaruxSasu fic), I'll will be putting in on Hiatus. Sorry, and please R&R.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own BLEACH... .**

**Broken**

The rain fell silently, darkening the skies of Karakura Town. It was a horrible day for the Kurosaki family, being the day of their mother's death. The day non of them could forget. Isshin, Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin all stood, drenched in the rain, staring at their mother's grave.

The icy, cold rain fell harder, soaking the mourning family. Isshin tapped Karin shoulder, picking up Yuzu and motioning to the car. Ichigo whispered that he was going to go home later. Isshin nodded, carrying Yuzu to the car.

"We'll-we'll be at home, Ichigo." Isshin said, getting into the car.

Ichigo nodded, staring at the grey tombstone with his mother's name engraved into the hard marble. Ichigo still thought it was his fault, that his mother died. His family told him it wasn't, but that didn't stop the feeling of powerlessness that washed over him, that made him feel like if he was stronger-- if he had _knew, _that maybe his mother could be alive right now, and they would all be counting the rain drops that they always did.

Clenching his hand around the purple lilac's, Ichigo glared profoundly at the grass, watching as the little, clear rain drop fell from the top of the grass, falling into the lash, wet grass. Ichigo's hair fell in front of his eyes, Ichigo didn't bother removing the orange locks from his face-- they would just get wet and fall back again.

Too many things were happening this month-- the attack of the Arrancar, the soul society, his mother's death day, too many things. Ichigo never let it show, but he was really stressed with this situation, well, situations'.

All the rain continued to pour down, Ichigo felt the Strong presents of a Arrancar Fracción. He clenched his hands once again-- he wasn't in the mood to deal with this right now, to deal with them right now.

"Kurosaki Ichigo-san, hai?", a female voice said, walking up to the tombstone.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed; she had _no _right to stand there next to his mother. Neither of them moved, Ichigo only forced out a hallow 'yes'. The Fracción stood a couple paces behind him, watching him.

The Fracción's hallow mask was set in the middle of her face, covering it from every one. Her peach coloured hair was matted down against her mask. The Fracción stared at Ichigo, scrutinizing him, watching his facial expressions' through the black holes in her mask.

Tilting her head, she asked calmly. "Who's the dead per-"

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER. DON'T EVEN FUCKING _LOOK _AT HER GRAVESTONE." Ichigo yelled, glaring at her from over his shoulder.

The Fracción took a step back, her eyes widening from behind her mask. The Fracción nodded, "your... mother."

The Fracción turned around, "I am sorry. I will hold your request to heart."

Ichigo blinked, his mouth agape. Since when were the Arancar _obedient _to what he had said to them. Ichigo stared at the back of the Fracción, watching her cautiously. Ichigo nodded to himself, turning back to the tombstone, his posture tense.

The Fracción stared up at the cloudy grey sky, growing bored, the Fracción around the graveyard. The Fracción walked to each gravestone, reading the names out loud, asking Ichigo questions.

"Hey, Kurosaki-san! Do you know this one? Eiko Shizozu?", the Fracción yelled, tracing the name engraved in the tombstone.

Ichigo turned toward her, "no." He said simply.

The Fracción nodded, "you know. I was suppose to come here and watch you. That I have been doing, but I must say, Kurosaki-san. You certain are a very hard person to crack."

"N-nani?", Ichigo asked, his eyes narrowing into slits as if he was going to attack her.

"Hey, no need for that, Kurosaki-san. I'm not here to fight you. No today, anyway." The Fracción said, turning to face him.

"Thought you Arrancar didn't care about any ones' feelings'?", Ichigo asked, clenching his hand.

The Fracción shrugged, "not all Arancar are the same. We are like each rain drop. We all are. All of use different, yet all of us the same."

"Stop takin' like that!", Ichigo yelled, glaring at the Fracción.

The Fracción shrugged once more. "I have no idea what your talking about, Kurosaki-san. But I will tell you this, I do not kill the mourning."

"'Mourning'? I'm not mourning. I just don't _feel _like being happy!", Ichigo protested.

The Fracción laughed humorlessly, "Kurosaki, Ichigo-san. You are stubborn, short-tempered, occasionally confrontational, spontaneous, determined, outspoken, strong-willed, witty, cynical, impulsive young man. You are never happy."

Ichigo huffed, "yeah, well. I don't recall you being any different, _stalker._"

"Oh, but I am not like you. I -as they say 'stop and smell the roses'. I have a more... well, a different view on life." The Fracción said, folding her arms over her chest.

Ichigo huffed once more, closed his eyes, he turned his head away from her. "What ever. If your not gonna fight me-- if you _gonna watch _me, leave me alone so I can't see your damned masked face."

"Alright, Kurosaki, Ichigo-san. I will take-- once more-- this to heart." The Fracción said, stepping back.

Ichigo watched the Fracción walk away, arching his eyes brow up at her. "Later... Monk."

The Fracción laughed, "I am not a monk, Kurosaki, Ichigo-san. Just the opposite of you. Maybe... maybe one day in the future we could switch places. You could be more at peace as I, Kurosaki, Ichigo-san."

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo replied. "And kill people? Work for a traitor, I don't think so."

Something like sadness flashed in the Fracción's eyes. "It was not my choice. I just wanted to be a painter." The Fracción said, walking into the dreary day.

Ichigo blinked at the retreating Fracción with questionable eyes. She was by far the most oddest Arancar he had met. Ichigo turned toward his mother's grave, and for the first time, he noticed it stopped raining.

Crouching down, Ichigo traced the name of his mother _Masaki Kurosaki a wonderful woman and a gracious mother. She will always be remembered for her love of live-- her love for everything. _Ichigo sniffed once, the tears rolled down his handsome face, mingling with the new, warmer rain.

"Damn, I promised myself, I promised myself I'd get the damn hallow that killed you." The tears continued to fall down, mixing with the rain in a of pain and comfort.

Ichigo didn't notice the Fracción holding up an umbrella like Zanpakutō, controlling the rain, washing away Ichigo's tears. The Fracción walked towards Ichigo, her posture comforting as she crouched down to his level.

"Hush, hush." She chimed, hugging him from behind as Ichigo continued to cry silently.

It was a moment Ichigo would never forget, a moment he may try to forget, but he knew, that what the Fracción did, how the Fracción helped him, he would never be able to forget it.

The Fracción brought the now sleeping Ichigo to his house, laying him down on his bed, she placed her masked lip's on his forehead. "Good night, Kurosaki, Ichigo-san."

Never had anyone seen Ichigo Kurosaki so broken before.

---

Ichigo pulled his sword out of Ulquiorra, bowing his head in respect to the Espada. He never thought that he would be able to beat an Espada, the fourth one no less, but he did. Ichigo panted deeply, walking away from the body of Ulquiorra Schiffer.

The familiar spirit pressure of the Fracción he had met was felt once again. Ichigo looked up, into the eyes of the Fracción who confused him more than anyone else.

Ichigo stared bewildered at the Fracción he seen in the graveyard, the one that brought him home. The Fracción glanced at her fallen master, her eyes now visible from behind the hallow mask. Her blue eye's shining with tears.

"Y-you killed my master. Ulquiorra-sama, please forgive me!", the Fracción cried, falling down to her knees, grasping Ulquiorra's head. "I-I wasn't here... fast enough... I am so sorry!"

Ichigo stared at the Fracción in a mixture of pity and understanding. Just last week he was talking to her, she seemed so calm, so at ease, now... she was broken. She was broken by _his _hands. The very hand's he swore he would use to cause no one many more pain in their life.

Never did Ichigo feel so bad for killing some one bad-- but he asked to be killed, he asked with dignity. Ichigo respected that before-- that is until she came. She was calm when she saw him, then she noticed Ulquiorra.

Beaten, laying over in the corner, all of her calmness broke and she raced over to him. The Fracción cried silently, her tears over dropping from under her mask. The Fracción looked at Ichigo, her eye's pleading.

"K-Kurosaki, Ichigo-san. I have no meaning in life anymore. I wish for you to kill me." The Fracción spoke, standing away from her master.

Ichigo blinked, "n-nani?", he asked, watching the Fracción.

"I do not wish to fight you, Kurosaki, Ichigo-san. You make me feel weird." She gripped her heart, "please Kurosaki-san, I have listened to your requests, now you must listen to mine."

Ichigo nodded slowly, recalling the times she had listened to what he wanted her to do. His throat tightened, Ichigo's heart thudded.

"Please, Ichigo-san." The Fracción pleaded.

This wasn't like her, this wasn't like her at all. She was normally a calm person, much like her master, but now, she looked so broken. Not like herself at all. Ichigo walked towards her, embracing her gentility.

The Fracción tensed in his arms. "K-Kurosaki-san?!", she yelped, moving in his arms.

"So you don't have to die alone." Ichigo whispered in her ear.

The Fracción relaxed, nodding against his chest. "Thank you, Kurosaki-san."

"Yeah, no problem." Ichigo said, bringing his sword up.

The Fracción looked up, staring into his brown eyes, "my name is Keitaro Hiromi."

The thick blade sliced through the Fracción, freezing in that peaceful moment. Ichigo watched as her eyes slowly faded to a dull grey. He dragged her down to the ground with him, murmuring to her.

"Keitaro, huh? That sounds like a boys' name." He said, noticing the rain.

Warm and comforting, it fell onto them, washing them both of the pain held in so deep. Ichigo reached forward to her mask, slowly lifting it over her head.

Ichigo sucked in a breath, her hair was peach coloured, her eyes were blue, and she was beautiful. Her expression was calm, and that she was, even in death.

Ichigo held her close as The S.S team reported in, only letting her go to bring her some where.

---

Three years later, on the very same day, Ichigo Kurosaki stood over a tombstone, looking at the name engraved into the marble. He let a smile appear on his face, despite the rain wetting him, he was calm. He pulled some thing out of his bag, laying it down on the soft, wet ground in front of the tombstone.

"Ichigo, come on! We have to go see Orihime and Uryu!", Rukia called from the black car.

Ichigo nodded to himself, taking one last look at the grave before he ran over to Rukia.

_Here lies Keitaro Hiromi. Stopping and smelling the roses was what she did; always will she be in our memories. Calmly frozen in time. _Below that lay a copy of the mask she wore, the original was with Ichigo, sitting on his dresser next to a picture of his mother, a single peach coloured flower lay inside the eye hole.

**---**

**What? Did ya really think this was going to be a love story? Hah! Anyways, it's late, Bye**

**Oh, R&R please, that would make me sooo happy ^.^**


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